Record Review: “Running Still” by Charlie Winston

While musicians, labels and the media in America brand and rebrand music to fit some kind of niche audience, our brothers and sisters across the pond just go ahead and bring everything together to make the best music they can from the influences they hear.

One of the most recent examples of this is British singer-songwriter Charlie Winston, who has a penchant for blending funk, soul and the classical music he was initially trained in. If you are thinking “Here comes another Freddie Mercury,” that would not be a bad comparison, but Winston is not in any way associated with glam rock.

Instead, he borrows from contemporary and classic soul and does his own thing with gusto—for instance, “Happiness” is a mournful tune about one’s inability to encounter bliss in life. The track is surprisingly uptempo and includes a smart bass line that gives the lyric a great backdrop. “Making Yourself So Lonely” echoes early Wings (think an update on “Maybe I’m Amazed”), while “Rockin’ In The Suburbs” invites everyone to party—even if you are not in the heart of town. (Ernest Barteldes)